This invention relates to a device for resisting inward movement of outer wall tissue of nasal passages of a nose during breathing.
Nasal dilators that resist inward movement of the outer wall tissue of the nasal passages during breathing are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,533,499, issued Jul. 9, 1966, and 5,533,503, issued Jul. 9, 1996, disclose nasal dilators comprising truss-members. The truss-member includes a flexible strip of material having a first end region, a second end region and an intermediate segment. The first and second end regions are adapted to engage the outer wall tissue of first and second nasal passages of the nose. The intermediate segment is configured to traverse a portion of the nose located between the first and second nasal passages. The truss-member further includes first and second resilient bands secured to the strip of material adjacent opposite edges of the intermediate segment. The resiliency of the first and second bands purportedly acts to stabilize the outer wall tissue and thereby prevent the outer wall tissue of the first and second nasal passages from drawing in during breathing.
The present invention also relates to a nasal dilation device utilized to resist inward movement of outer wall tissue of the nasal passages of a nose during breathing.
The nasal dilation device of the present invention is characterized by its relative simplicity, enabling the dilator to be of relatively low cost construction, as well as provide a high degree of comfort to the user when applied to the nose.
The nasal dilation device of the present invention includes a single, integral strip of flexible, resilient material having a substantially uniform thickness and a normally planar state and being disposed along a linear longitudinal axis.
The strip of flexible, resilient material includes a central portion for positioning over the top of an individual""s nose and opposed end portions affixed to the central portion for positioning at opposite sides of the individual""s nose.
Each end portion comprises independently flexible upper and lower finger elements diverging from one another and from said linear longitudinal axis. The upper and lower finger elements have free distal finger element ends.
The free distal finger element ends terminate at a first imaginary line defining an angle with a second imaginary line orthogonal to said longitudinal axis. The angle falls within the range of from about 35 degrees to about 45 degrees. The upper finger elements of the end portions are shorter than the lower finger elements.
The nasal dilation device also includes adhesive tape elements overlying the end portions for releasably securing the end portions to the opposite sides of the individual""s nose to maintain the strip of flexible, resilient material in flexed and bent condition and to continuously apply pulling forces at the opposite sides of the individual""s nose to maintain the nasal passageways thereof opened.
Other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.